Fall CIS 390 – SYSTEMS ANALYSIS AND DESIGN
INTRODUCTION
Instructor: / Richard W. Egan / Michael ChumerOffice: / Room 2315C – GITC Building – 2nd Floor / Room 2315C – GITC Building – 2nd Floor
Office Hours: / Check my Web site for hours
Other times by appointment / Check my Web site for hours
Other times by appointment
Web Site: / http://web.njit.edu/~egan / http://web.njit.edu/~chumer
Telephone: / (973) 596 5314 / (973) 596 5464
E-mail: / /
COURSE DECRIPTION
A study of the information systems development life cycle, from the initial stages of information requirement analysis and determination to the ultimate activities involving systems design. Theory, methodologies and strategies for information requirements analysis, including the assessment of transactions and decisions, fact-finding methodologies, structured analysis development tools, strategies of prototype development, and an overview of computer-aided software engineering (CASE) tools. Theory, methodologies and strategies for systems design, including design of user-interfaces, particularly menu-driven and keyword dialogue strategies, and issues in the proper design of computer output.
COURSE MATERIALS
The following software packages will be used/utilized in this course:
· Microsoft Word 2000 – Document preparation
· Microsoft PowerPoint 2000 – Presentation software
· Adobe Acrobat Reader 4.0/5.0 – Used to read .PDF documents (http://www.adobe.com )
These others you may find useful
· Microsoft Visio 2000 (Standard, profession or enterprise edition), or Smart Draw 5 standard http://www.smartdraw.com – Modeling tool
· Microsoft Project 2000 for Windows (automate Gantt/Pert Chart generation)
· SPSS – Statistical Package (Advanced students who choose to do research papers)
· Microsoft Excel 2000 – Spread sheet
· Windows 98 or Windows 2000/ME/XP – Operation systems
· Silver Run – DFD diagrammer http://www.silverrun.com/
· Oracle Designer/ Developer 2000
TEXBOOK & OTHER RESOURCES
This course has one textbook assigned. The required textbook is:
“Essentials of Systems Analysis & Design, 2nd Ed., Valacich, George, Hoffer, Prentice Hall, 2004”
This text book is very helpful, well-structured and full of examples and illustrations. However, live lectures will always add more information, examples and extensions. They summarize every chapter in the textbook. External readings and citations are citations are very welcome and encouraged.
Another optional yet important reference is:
“Modern Systems Analysis and Design” by Hoffer and others. (ISBN: 0-201-33841-6)
COURSE OBJECTIVES
The overall course objective is to give you the concepts and skills you need to analyze and design information systems. The course concentrates on the front-end of the systems development process; that is, the course only lightly touches on the design and development of computer programs and their testing and maintenance (Although you will work through some elements of the whole development process on you project).
Upon successful completion of the course, you are expected to be able to:
· Describe the major alternative methodologies used in developing information systems and the considerations involved in choosing which methodology to use.
· Analyze a business need for information and to develop an appropriate strategy to solve the problem and provide the required information service.
· Prepare and use various information gathering techniques for eliciting user information requirements and system expectations.
· Construct and interpret a variety of system description documents, including physical and logical data flow diagrams, entity –relationship diagrams, Structured English, structure charts, state-transition diagrams, as well as screen, form, and report layouts.
· Communicate effectively, in both written and oral forms, systems specifications, and to be persuasive in these presentations.
· Develop a personal plan for improving yourself to become a better systems professional or user/manager of a system, by understanding you own strengths and weaknesses and matching those with the critical success factors of a modern business manager.
Assignments:
1. Questions: in general answer the question. In general, most questions should be able to answered in two or 3 paragraphs. Questions that want reasons the do as complete a list as you can. Remember this is the place to learn, I am looking for you to think and apply it to what you have read or learned already.
2. Mini cases: usually at most one page. If you think, it requires more talk to me.
In either case, list the chapter, question number and the question. Then answer the question. Use a 12-point font as smaller is tiring to read, (Hint: this is also important later when doing this for real – think of your audience!).
3. Project: The project is where you will put it all together. It will be based on a Request for Proposal that I received several years ago. It was real and what you will get is basically what was sent. Once you have the RFP, you should start working on it. In this particular case, I am the resource; i.e. normally, you might be able to address question to a client contact. I am that contact. Remember that you want your question(s) to be concise but clear, else you never know what you might get in response. Remember also this is a GROUP project. It is important that everyone contributes, and to that point I will be distributing an evaluation sheet. This evaluation sheet will have each member rate the effort of each other member. Based on that rating, a members grade could be effected negatively. See also #4 under course policies.
- Professional Journal Article Review: You are required to find and review a PROFESSIONAL article about Systems analysis). Part of the grade for your review will be based upon how significant the article is. This review is due in the 13th meeting of the course. A professional article is one that carefully references the prior foundation material that led to the current article. When you have determined the article you plan to review, you must submit the complete reference (author(s), title, journal, volume, issue, date, and pages) to me along with a one-paragraph statement as to why you think it is a significant article. This is due by the 4th meeting of the course. When you submit the planned article, you must also attach a copy of the original article. See list at end for samples of acceptable journals.
4.1. The review should be no more than Five typed pages, double-spaced, 12 point font and follow the following outline:
4.2. Introduction: Objective of the article and what is the findings or approach is based upon.
4.3. Results: What are the important observations, conclusions, findings, etc. Any important details relevant to the individual findings.
4.4. Issues: What open questions or issues are still unresolved?
4.5. Critique: How confident are you in the results of the article and why?
5. Participation in an Experimental Study (Optional): A Ph.D. student in Information Systems is seeking students to volunteer as subjects in a study. The time commitment is approximately seven hours over a three-week period-of-time.
If there is an experiment, it will be worth 15 points towards your grade. The amount of credit that will be applied toward your final grade will be based on your level of participation in the study as judged by the Ph.D. student.
Note: If you just give back what is in the book you will receive a poor grade. To get a superior grade you need to do superior work. That means going beyond the text, adding in outside references, applying your experience and so forth.
COURSE POLICIES
1. CHEATING POLICY
PROJECTS/CLASES – “You must do your own work on all projects/cases. You may discuss you project with other students and instructors and get advice; however, the actual assignment must be done by YOU! If you submit as your own work, any work done by a previous CIS390 student, you have cheated. If you submit as your own work, any work done by another person, you have cheated. If you have any doubt, as your instructor BEFORE you submit the work as your own. After you submit the work, it is too late to ask! Project is a group effort and all in the group are expected to contribute (See # 4 below).
EXAMINATIONS – “Cheating will not be tolerated on any assessment given for this course. Make up exam will not be allowed.”
CONSEQUENCES – “There will be no second chances. If you are caught cheating, you will receive an “F” for the course.”
2. INCOMPLETE GRADES – “Incomplete grades will not be given unless there are extraordinary circumstances as deemed by the instructor.”
3. ATTENDANCE – “You are expected to be in class for every class session and to be on time. Not attending class robs you of the opportunity to ask questions, get information about assignments, and generally helping you acquire the knowledge you need to pass this class. Arriving late disturbs the class in progress and is simply rude. While it is understood that circumstances may sometimes interfere, please make a point of being in class and being on time.”
4. MEMBER FIRING POLICY – “As a group, you have the right to fire any member that is not contributing to your project. The policy helps enforce group work and gives you an alternative to a problem member. If you fire a team member, you must write me a memorandum ASAP. At this point, the team member must join another (if allowed) or develop their own project. If the group member fails to join another group or develop their own project, THE MEMBER WILL GET NO POINTS IN THE PROJECT. NO EXCEPTIONS!!”
5. Notes: All projects MUST be handed in on a CD and should be able to be run from that CD.
Note2: All members of the group should include a sub-directory made-up of their name which will contain a copy of all homework and assignments due.
IF THE CD IS NOT HANDED IN WITH THE GROUP PROJECT ON IT, IT WILL RESULT IN AN ‘F’ FOR THE PROJECT.
IF A GROUP MEMBER DOES NOT HAVE HIS ASSIGNMENTS IN A SUB-DIRECTORY ON THAT CD THEN THAT GROUP MEMBER WILL RECEIVE AN ‘I’ UNTIL A COMPUTER READABLE COPY IS HANDED IN AND THAT GROUP MEMBER’S GRADE WILL BE LOWERED BY 1/2 GRADE.
6. GRADING POLICIES
Your final grade in this course is based on the percentage of points that you receive out of the total possible points for the course (100). Grades will be determined according to the following scale:
90 % - 100 % = A
85 % - 89 % = B+
80 % - 84 % = B
75 % 79 % = C+
70 % -74 % = C
60 % - 69 % = D
0 % - 59 % = F
EVALUATION CRITERIA
Criterion / Percentage / ExplanationHW Assignments / 15% / Answers to chapter problems
Midterm Exam / 25% / Closed book / notes Midterm
Milestones / 10% / 3 milestones during term
Project Presentation / 15% / Each member of the group should present
Written Project Submission / 20 % / Full written group effort
Professional Journal Article Review / 15 % / Professional Journal Article Review
Experiment / 15 points / If there is an experiment an additional 15 points will added to the possible total (i.e. 115)
The range for the grades will be adjusted accordingly
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